Methods for binding and unbinding a MBMS bearer to a communication group in a 3GPP compliant system

Abstract

A 3GPP compliant system includes a radio access network (RAN) partitioned into a plurality MBMS services areas, wherein each MBMS service area has a plurality of MBMS bearers established a priori for transporting media streams. An infrastructure device: receives a request to transmit a media stream to a communication group, wherein the request to transmit is received after the MBMS bearers were established; determines a MBMS bearer in a MBMS service area to assign to transport the media stream; generates a MBMS connect message that binds the communication group to the assigned MBMS bearer, wherein the MBMS connect message includes an identifier for the communication group and an identifier for the assigned MBMS bearer; and sends the MBMS connect message to members of the communication group.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method for binding and unbinding a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) bearer to a communication group in a 3 rd  Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) compliant system, the method comprising:
 an infrastructure device coupled to the 3GPP compliant system, the 3GPP compliant system having a radio access network partitioned into a plurality MBMS services areas, wherein each MBMS service area has a plurality of MBMS bearers established a priori for transporting media streams, the infrastructure device performing:
 receiving a request to transmit a media stream to a communication group, wherein the request to transmit is received after the MBMS bearers were established; 
 determining a MBMS bearer of the plurality of MBMS bearers established a priori for transporting media streams in a MBMS service area of the plurality MBMS services areas to assign to transport the media stream; 
 generating a MBMS connect message that binds the communication group to the assigned MBMS bearer, wherein the MBMS connect message includes an identifier for the communication group and an identifier for the assigned MBMS bearer; 
 sending the MBMS connect message to members of the communication group. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MBMS connect message comprises a non-Session Initiation Protocol message. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier of the assigned MBMS bearer comprises a Temporary Mobile Group Identifier and an Internet Protocol Multicast address. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MBMS connect message is sent over a set of point-to-point bearers. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MBMS connect message is sent over a point-to-multipoint bearer. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the point-to-multipoint bearer on which the MBMS connect message is sent comprises a MBMS bearer that was established before the request to transmit was received by the infrastructure device and that is used for sending MBMS connect messages. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MBMS connect message includes an identifier for another MBMS bearer in the MBMS service area and a corresponding indication of a current communication group assignment status for the other MBMS bearer. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the infrastructure device performing:
 receiving a request to end the transport of the media stream for the communication group; 
 de-assigning the assigned MBMS bearer; 
 generating a MBMS disconnect message that unbinds the communication group from the assigned MBMS bearer, wherein the MBMS disconnect message includes an identifier for the de-assigned MBMS bearer and an indication that the de-assigned MBMS bearer is no longer used for transporting the media for the communication group; 
 sending the MBMS disconnect messages to the members of the communication group. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the indication that the MBMS bearer is no longer assigned comprises a known NULL indication. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the indication that the MBMS bearer is no longer assigned comprises an identifier for a different communication group. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier for the communication group comprises a talkgroup identifier. 
     
     
       12. A Push-to-Talk (PTT) controller capable of operating in a 3GPP compliant system having a radio access network partitioned into a plurality MBMS services areas, wherein each MBMS service area has a plurality of MBMS bearers established a priori for transporting media streams, the PTT controller comprising:
 a processing device; and 
 non-transitory memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processing device, perform the following functions:
 receive a request to transmit a media stream to a communication group, wherein the request to transmit is received after the plurality of MBMS bearers were established; 
 determine a MBMS bearer of the plurality of MBMS bearers established a priori for transporting media streams in a MBMS service area of the plurality MBMS services areas to assign to transport the media stream; 
 generate a MBMS connect message that binds the communication group to the assigned MBMS bearer, wherein the MBMS connect message includes an identifier for the communication group and an identifier for the assigned MBMS bearer; 
 send the MBMS connect message to members of the communication group.